Experts suggest government share power with GAM
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government should offer a power-sharing arrangement to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in governing oil and gas-rich Aceh as part of an effort to end the decades-long conflict in the province, a number of experts have said.
Head of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University's Center for Security and Peace Studies, Syamsu Panggabean, said that such a conflict resolution model had been adopted to settle protracted conflicts in other countries, such as between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front, and between the British government and Northern Ireland separatists.
"Clearly, there will have to be power sharing," Panggabean told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He said that the government and GAM leaders should hold a series of talks to devise a mechanism by which power sharing could be implemented.
"Settling the conflict in Aceh is possible. What both sides must do is to be serious in the negotiations, meaning they must listen and consider each other's demands instead of forcing the other side to accept their proposals," he said.
Recent talks between the government and GAM's exiled leaders in Helsinki ended inconclusively, although a number of officials from both sides said they intended to meet again in the "near future", possibly this month, to discuss ways of ending the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands people. The latest peace negotiations have been facilitated by the Finnish Crisis Management Initiative (CMI).
But Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS has insisted that any future talks with GAM must be based on the concept that Aceh remains part of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, albeit with special autonomy.
Smita Notosusanto, who heads the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro), agreed with Panggabean, suggesting that the government allow GAM members to stand in local elections.
"Both sides have their reasons for continuing the conflict in Aceh, which is rich in natural resources. But, basically it's about power. Why doesn't the government allow GAM members to participate in elections?" she asked.
Elections would serve as a good tool for both sides to prove their respective commitments to ending the conflict, Smita said.
By participating in elections, GAM could prove its claim that it is supported by most Acehnese, while at the same time Aceh would be maintained as part of Indonesia.
On the other hand, the government would be able to prove to the Acehnese that they will be allowed to fully enjoy the special autonomy they have been granted.
"I personally think that GAM members would not hesitate to stand for election as regents. If they refused, they would only confirm their position as criminals. Only elections would be capable of confirming their claims to public support," Smita said.
Unlike local elections in other provinces and regencies in the country, the Aceh Special Autonomy Law (No. 18/2001) allows independent candidates to stand in regental or gubernatorial elections. The Aceh legislative council has also issued local regulations on the issue, Smita said.
GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976. Both the government and GAM had earlier produced a series of agreements to stop the conflict in Aceh on a temporary basis, but they failed to bring about a binding peace.
The most recent truce between the government and GAM was the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which was signed in 2002. It collapsed in 2003, and martial law was quickly imposed in the province. This has since been toned down to a state of civil emergency.